Cries in the woods
by Norad38
Summary: Simon, having fought his way through all the horrors conjured by his mind, now has a chance to redeem himself. New body, new world, new faces. One last opportunity to save himself. (Night in the woods/cry of fear crossover)(Tried to do it the correct way but for some reason it disappeared from the place I left it.) (Mae/Simon fluff)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Not over yet

Simon, had given up. He rolled his wheel chair down the lonely road in the Swedish city. The browning Hi power bouncing in his satchel as he rolled over the bumps in the road. His red sweater barely managing to keep out the cold. He couldn't take it anymore. His broken legs haunted every moment of the day. The mental wars he waged every day. The abandonment he felt from all his friends. The hopelessness of it all had pushed him to the end. His nightmarish creations, hunting him down in his dreams. He wouldn't have it anymore. Today, would be the day he finally liberated himself.

* * *

Simon exited the blue elevator of his apartment. Rolling out of the blue elevator and right towards his room. He dug into his bag and pulled out his key. He unlocked the door and twisted the knob. Just as he was about to open the door, a crash could be heard from within. Simon wondered whether or not this was a figment of his deteriorating mind, or someone had actually broken into his home. Though he wanted to die that night, he didn't want to end his life without some sort of conclusion. A memo to Sophie and Doctor Purnell. The book... He had to finish the book. Doctor Purnell told him to begin writing in the book when the anti-depressants lost their affect. It helped him put things into prospective and Sophie gave him the strength to continue. But in the end, they just weren't enough to save him. He wearily opened the door and aimed his pistol into the room. The window had been broken and a small, red, crystal object sat inside his room. The book he had left on his desk, was gone. He shrieked. "No!"

Placing the pistol in his lap, he quickly wheeled over to the window, hoping he could see the offender who had made off with his book. Before he had gotten half way across the room, the stone began to shimmer and radiate light. "OH SHIT!"

A blinding light engulfed his vision and the world went white.

* * *

The first thing that greeted Simon was the smell of nature. The smell of dirt and leafs flooded his nostrils. He could hear the rush of water nearby. Had he awoken in the nightmare forest? He was unsure. He opened his eyes and peered into the night sky. He was in a ravine, however, something was odd. He crossed his eyes and stared at his new muzzle. He then turned and looked down at his... paw? He looked at both of his new paws, in confusion and fear. Though he had fought against countless nightmares, this was a new... A new what? No words could describe his current situation. He quickly sat up and looked at his body. Though he wore all of his clothes, he could tell something was very different with his body. He quickly got to his feet and looked into the nearby stream, only being greeted by his new lynx features. "What the fuck?"

He rubbed his face, as if he was trying to tear the brown fur out of his face. The then cupped some water in his paws and ran it over hoping it would snap him out of what ever hallucination he was in. After sitting by the river rubbing his face for several seconds, he realized he wasn't getting out of this dream. He sat back up and tried to collect his thoughts. "Okay, so someone broke into my room. Stole my journal and left a stone in the room which sent me into another world or something. That or I've completely lost it."

He walked back over to his bag which sat on the bed of leaves. He opened it to find his wallet, three clips of ammo, his phone and a switch blade. Not too far away was his wheel chair and his browning. He walked over and picked up the pistol, half contemplating ending it right there. However, he realized this new body could provide him with a new opportunity. He could walk again. He was no longer... Defective. He placed the pistol back into his bag and walked in the direction the water was flowing from. He was walking again, it was amazing to hear the leafs crackle underneath his feet. However he had walked many times in his dreams, what would make this time any different from the others. How could he tell if this was real. He continued to walk and eventually, he approached massive pile of logs. They seemed to have fallen from the top of the ravine where he could clearly see a chain link fence. He figured his new body would give him the edge he needed to scale the logs so he approached the pile. After all, he did manage to climb out of a train wreck back in one of his dreams. "Hey, you there, stay where you are! This is the police."

A slightly scratchy female voice penetrated the ambiance of the ravine. Crap, Simon knew he was in for it now. He raised his paws and slowly turned towards the source of the voice. "Listen officer, I mean no trouble, I'm just trying to get out of this pl-"

Instead of a police officer, he saw a anthropomorphic black cat smirking at him and stiffening her laughter. She wore a orange shirt with a zero on it, the rest of her clothes were black. "HAHAHAHA, oh man that was great. You should have seen the look on your face."

Simon was not amused. He regained his composure and glared at the small black feline. "You know, I could beat you up if I wanted to."

She calmed herself. "Jeeze, it was just a joke, relax."

She walked up to Simon and looked him over. He was taller than her by a foot but she reckon she could take him down if she fought hard enough. "So what are you doing here."

Simon hesitated before he decided to reply. "I got lost. I don't even know where I am."

"You sound funny, you have a strange accent."

"I'm from Sweden."

"Really now."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Mae, now tell me your name."

"My name's Simon."

"Well Simon, your on my turf now, I'm queen of possum springs."

Simon did not want to play along. "What ever, I'm getting out of this shit hole."

He began to climb up the logs. Eventually, he realized he could not climb any further. Though his new agile body was capable of great feats of jumping, he could not reach the next log. He heard Mae jump up on the logs below him until she reached the one he was on. "Need some help?"

Simon shook his head. "Nope."

He jumped on the log trying to reach the next one but missed the ledge of the other log by inches. The logs shook underneath their feet. "Hey cool!"

Mae continued to jump on the log, slowly making it slide. "NO STOP! Your going to get us killed!"

By the fourth jump the log pile slid and the two felines fell off. Mae dropped on top of Simon as they landed on the ground, barely managing to dodge the log side. Soon. The movement ceased, both cats sat there frozen with shock and awe. Mae was the first to snap out of her shock. "Oh my god. That was dangerous. We could have died... That was amazing!"

Simon shook his head and shoved her off him. "Are you fucking crazy! Why would you risk something like that!"

They both stood up and dusted themselves off. Mae smirked at Simon. "Well we made it, didn't we."

She then ran back the log pile and jumped all the way back to the top. Simon snorted and went up after her. Walking through the forest he could see lights in the distance, similar to the nightmare woods he had been through on his way to the mental hospital so many times. However, there were no creatures waiting in the woods this time. No hanging ladies in the tree and surely no madmen with chainsaws. He trekked through the woods, not far behind the other feline. He approached the dilapidated play structure next to Mae. He could see her scribble something down in her notebook before she shut it. "Well..."

Mae looked at Simon expectantly. "What?"

"What do you say to a person who helped you?"

He glared at her. "You could have killed us!"

"Yea well I didn't and even if I didn't knock us down, your jumping would have caused the logs to collapse... Now, what do you say?"

Simon grumbled in annoyance. She was right, he would have kept jumping and he would have fallen.

"Thanks..."

"Good boy."

She nuzzled Simon in the crook of his neck before turning around and walking to the end of the playground. Mae reminded Simon of Sophie. She was affectionate and playful. But he drove her away. He was stupid.. Selfish... NO! Don't think that, Sophie was right to leave him... He wasn't treating her right... It's okay.. He shook his head to rid it of self doubt and approached the fence where Mae was. She touched the fence peering at the through the holes at the town in the distance. "You can't keep me out Possum Springs, I am queen of you... Could probably just jump off this telephone pole."

Simon walked past her and latched onto the fence. It seemed sturdy enough so he decided to climb up it. After he scaled the fence, he turned around to see Mae jumping into a tree and onto a near by telephone wire. Before he could shout something out, Simon heard the soft hum of an engine. "Fuck."

He quickly got off the road and ducked into a ditch as he watched a cop car pull up in front of the fence. He saw a cat police officer step out of the car. He could tell she was female for obvious reasons. Then Mae dropped down onto the ground in front of the officer who promptly directed the glare of a flashlight into Mae's face. "Hello Mae. Been a while"

Mae chuckled nervously. "Hey. What are you doing out here? Nothing better to do?"

"I was out here doing my rounds when I saw you here on a very off-limits playground."

"So"

"Get in the car Mae."

"No."

"You want to spend your first night back in jail, Mae?"

"No."

Simon stayed in the ditch hiding from the officer and Mae. He heard the sound of two doors shutting and the engine roaring to life. He heard the car's tire grind against the road as it sped away. About a minute passed before Simon dared to get up from his hiding spot. He could see the car speeding down the road off into the town. He climbed out of the ditch and began to run alongside the road. The leafs crumpled under his feet and fluttered around him.

* * *

When he got to the outskirts of town, all was silent. Not a single soul was in the street. He was about to head in but decided against it. Heading into an unknown town with a loaded gun was very suspicious. He decided to head to the right of the town following some train tracks. He had been walking when he noticed a box cart in the woods. It seemed like it had crashed there in the ditch years ago and left to rot. The outside still looked intact and the weather looked like it had only aged the wooden hull of the box cart. He decided to have a look inside. The sliding door that faced upwards was somehow jammed from the inside. He decided to climb on top of the box cart in hopes of finding a way in. He noticed a small hatch on the roof and attempted to lift it open. Though years of rain had taken a toll on its latches, he managed to open the hatch. Turning on his phone's light, he illuminated the interior of the container. It was mostly empty. There were several small boxes scattered about the interior of the cart. It smelled strongly of rotting wood. He noticed that the mechanism to unlock the door was jammed by a small pry bar. He removed it from the gears and opened on of the train cart doors, letting the musty smell of the cart fan out. Now time to search those boxes. Holding the pry bar in his paws, he began to lift open the lids of the boxes.

13x cans of beans

4x cans of pork

29x cans of beef

20x packets of hardtack?

1x oil lantern

1x first aid kit

Simon finished using his switchblade to scratch the inventory of the crates into the wall. Most of the stuff inside the boxes was just complete junk. Some of the cans had rusted open revealing the rotted contents within. Others were already smashed open. He also managed to salvage a nylon cargo cover cloth which he figured he could use as a blanket. He opened a can of beef with his knife and began to spoon out the contents with his paw. He knew he couldn't live off this stuff forever but it would last him some time. By the looks of things, he was in a very small town so identity checks were probably the least of his concerns, finding a job shouldn't be too much of a problem. Simon also searched through his wallet and discovered that his Swedish money had turned into something that resembled American currency, the difference being the animal faces on the dollar bills. He piled his supplies in the corner of the box cart and fell into his fulfill sleep. Haunted by the abominations that had plagued him ever since the black day.

* * *

Simon finished off the suicider with a three round burst to the chest. Stepping out of cover, he began to make his way through the carnage. He stepped over the desecrated corpses of his enemies, his m16 aimed towards the down the empty street as he continued to walk. Bullet casings laid all over the street and bullet holes riddled the wall. It was quiet, for now. He could hear a plane in the distance which was odd given the circumstances. The creatures he fought, rarely attacked him directly. Some preferred to set up ambushes or jump him when he least suspected it. They were intelligent for sure, but he could always fight them off in the end. Simon pressed the mag release of his gun. The 20 round box mag dropped out of the gun and he loaded another mag in. Slapping it in with a satisfying click. He turned a street corner and continued to walk. No signs of life.

That was, until he thought he could hear music in the distance. He was curious so he decided to go find the source of the noise. As he walked, the music got louder and louder. It was more of a symphony if anything. It wasn't rock music but he didn't mind it. It still sounded quite nice. He could see something was wrong with this street. It seemed to, fall apart? The buildings seemed to crumble and float away as well as the liter on the ground. The road kept stretching off into the distance but it looked like it was damaged. In the distance however was another city, it had a blue tinge but he could hear the music coming from there. Deciding he had nothing better to do, he began to follow the road to the city in the distance. As he walked, it began to get darker and darker, it was so dark to the point where he couldn't even see the road. He tried to use his phone but the darkness just ate up the light. It was pointless so he turned it off and kept walking. He then saw a light in the distance before it went out. However, a dull glare remained where he saw the light. He kept walking and walking. Suddenly, the lights began to grow in intensity and shape. Now, he could hear a car engine. The metal machine sped towards him and struck him.

* * *

Simon woke up in a frenzy. Startled by his dream. He had those dreams for a very long while now but the city in the distance was something new to him. He stretched trying to work the kinks out of his aching bones. He stood up and released the locks on the door. He slid it open and let the light in. The sun blinded him and the sound of birds and wind fill his ears. He shied away from the light and opened a can of beef, contemplating his next step. Find a job, have a stable income, stay alive... That was the plan. After finishing his meal, he tossed the can out the door. He shut the door behind him and walked to the town. He was going to make this second chance count. No matter what.

* * *

Simon swerved around a wolf that was walking down the street. His anxiety was slowly creeping up on him. If he had some anti-depressants or at least a cigarette... NO, no... Those anti-depressants screwed him up, why would he need those damn things... Just keep calm Simon, keep calm... His search for a job had come up empty. No one seemed to be hiring. He did see an ad to work at a hardware store called the O'l Pickaxe but the owner within was nowhere to be seen. He trudged down the Autumn road. As he continued to walk, he could swear he could hear music. As he continued his march, he could hear it get louder and louder. Soon, he came across a decrepit building named the Party Barn. It's Halloween decorations still stamped on the windows. He could hear the music blasting form within. He pressed his ear against the door and listened to the music. Soon, the music ceased and he could hear muffled voices from within. Soon the voices stopped and Simon could hear footsteps approaching the door. "Oh Shit!"

He tried to move but the door opened and knocked him onto his back. "You know, we could see you the entire time right?"

Simon looked up into the eyes of a, rather large bear. He wore a pair of circular glasses on his face and he was wearing a little top hat. His shirt was green and pants were black. It was hard to tell his expression by looking at those glasses. "Angus, who is that guy?"

A fox peaked around the bear. His fur was orange and his pupils were black and his clothes were black. "Yea, who is he."

A crocodile pushed the fox to the side and glared at Simon. She wore all black. The only other color on her clothes was the white Egyptian symbol on her shirt. Simon was scared now. He inched his paw into his bag and found the handle of his switchblade. "Sorry, I didn't mean to... I heard the music inside and I got curious."

"Simon is that you?"

"Mae."

The mischievous black cat squeezed past the bear and smirked at Simon. "Well well well... Couldn't get enough of me now could you."

The fox in the back piped up. "Whoa, are you two like exes, or like in some weird relationship we don't know about?"

Simon sputtered. "WHAT! NO NO NO NO! We just met yesterday. She almost got me killed!"

"Oh grow up."

Simon stood back up and dusted himself off. The crocodile seemed to look at him disapprovingly. All eyes were on him, he had to come up with something. "Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot here. Tell you what, I'll treat you guys to some lunch. How about it?"

The group turned to face each other. Though no words were exchanged, they seemed to reach a consensus. The bear spoke first. "Alright, since you want to make up, we accept your offer. Lets go the the click clak diner. Bea, can you drive us?"

The crocodile stepped past the group. "Yep."

She walked to her car and opened the doors. The rest of the group followed until it was just Simon standing there. He was very nervous. He looked at the group in the car. He had never been in a car with so many people. What if he has a panic attack. What if he wets himself. What if they try to kill him. He didn't have time to think however because the car horn snapped him out of his thoughts. "Hey you coming in or what."

The crocodile glared at him and he wasted no time climbing into the car.

* * *

The ride had been quiet, no one really spoke. Now they were sitting in the dinner eating pizza. Simon had yet to get a slice of the pepperoni pizza. He had never eaten pizza before. The bear had introduced himself as Angus and the fox was named Gregg. They were talking but Simon was lost in his thoughts. Why wasn't he scared? Was it the confidence this body gave him? No no. Even when his legs were fine he still had problems. Is this all a dream? Not likely, his screwed up head would have conjured something up to kill him. The chance to start over? Not likely. Or, was it because he fought against his past fears and anxieties and managed to grow from them?...How would he know. The fox placed a crust back on the plate and looked at him. "Hey man, you gonna eat the pizza or what."

"Sure."

Simon nervously picked up a slice of pizza and took a bite out of it. It wasn't great but it sure as hell wasn't bad. He finished scarfing down the pizza and looks at the group. All of them were silent for a moment, unsure of what to say. The crocodile broke the silence. "So Simon, where are you from."

"I'm from Stockholm Sweden."

"What are you doing so far away from home?"

"I'm trying to leave it behind. Too many bad memories. I want to start fresh."

The crocodile gave a dry laugh at his statement. "That's what everyone seems to be doing these days. What were you back in Sweden anyways."

"I was a student, I went to Harbor college."

"Why did you leave, you sound like you had it made."

Simon didn't know what to say for this one. He was never kicked out of college nor did he drop. He decided to go with the former for his excuse and indulge his fantasies of murdering the man who crippled him. "I got kicked out. Got into a fight and they expelled me."

The fox piped up. "Whoa, did the person, like, have it coming or something?"

Simon continued to lie. "He tried to hit me with a car. Needless to say, when I got to him, I beat him into an inch of his life. He didn't die, oh no. The police got there in time to stop me. The guy didn't lay any charges against me but the school booted me out because they believed I was too violent."

The whole group stared at him in silence. Nobody was sure of what to say next. That's when Mae piped up. "I put a kid in the hospital when I was younger. Used a baseball bat and beat him to a pulp."

Bea coughed. "So, are we just sharing stories about almost killing people?"

Simon laughed nervously. "Yea, lets change the subject."

Mae picked up the conversation. "So, when are we gonna play out?"

Bea snorted. "Mae. We don't play out, we have jobs, Mae."

The bear spoke next. "I work at the video outpost too!"

Bea took a drag of her cigarette. "I'm at the O'l Pickaxe."

Mae looked at Bea with a confused expression. "I thought you were going to school."

Bea let out a dry laugh. "Well, life happens."

The fox began to hit the table enthusiastically. "I'm lord of the snack falcon."

"Where's Casey?"

The whole group was silent for a moment before Gregg spoke. "Oh yeah, you won't know, huh? Casey's gone"

Mae looked surprised. "Gone? Gone how?"

"Hopped a train I bet."

"Oh wow, he always talked about doing that."

"Yeah, one day he was just gone."

The bear piped up in the back. "Made a clean break. Hasn't emailed or anything."

Mae looked sad. "Well, good for him I guess."

Gregg shifted to find a more comfortable position. "His parents put up missing persons posters, but everyone knew what happened."

"Geeze Casey, I...Huh."

Bea hummed. "So Mae, what do you do?"

"I was in college?"

"And why exactly are you still not there?"

"Man screw school!"

"Stunning."

Simon sat there, unsure what to say... As a matter of fact, the whole table had become silent. Angus was the first to break the silence. "Well! We better get home dude."

"Oh yea, Angus got a date with sword people online!"

Mae looked surprised."Aww, lucky."

Angus then looked to Simon. "Well, thanks for the meal Simon. Nice meeting you. But next time, you can just ask if you want to listen to our music."

They all stood up from the table and began to walk to the exit. The fox ran ahead and held the door. "Yeah man! "

Simon shook his head. "Oh no, I'm looking for a job."

Simon stepped out the door and onto the street to view the autumn street. Only for his gaze to stop and focus on the ground. Upon it laid a single, severed arm. The end where the arm was cut was caked in dried blood and covered in dirt. The world melted around Simon as he fell backwards. The world turned black and arms began to rise out of the floor to claw at him. Images of the police officers attempting to pry the vehicle away from him flooded back into his mind as it slowly slipped away. The screaming and howling in his ears drowned out all other sounds as he began to claw at his eyes, trying to remove the horrendous images from them "SIMON, STOP!"

Simon stopped and opened his eyes to the sound of the voice. Mae stood in front of him with a fearful look as the world around him was slowly restored to the way it was. "Simon what's wrong with you."

Simon wiped a tear out of his eye and sniffled. "Sorry Mae... I get like this sometimes... I'm so stupid."

Angus and Gregg stood him back up but Simon continued to sob and shake. "Simon, you aren't stupid... Do you want to talk about it?"

"NO! No, I don't want to talk about it...Please."

Everyone looked at him concerned before they turned around to look at the arm. Simon finished wiping the tears out of his eyes and recomposed himself. They couldn't know about what happened to him... Maybe it was time to find a new psychiatrist. No, that would be stupid, doctor Purnell couldn't save him, and Sophie was gone... But what about Mae? She broke him out of his psychosis after all. "Hey what's going on here?"

A gruff voice permeated the air. The group made way for a police officer that stepped past the group and looked at the arm. The same police officer that picked up Mae the night she came back into town. Mae responded with strange enthusiasm. "Hey aunt Molly! We found an arm!"

The cop looked disappointed. "Alright Mae, step away from the arm."

"Alright alright! don't taser me or anything."

"No promises."

Gregg piped up in the back. "Oh well, I think it's time for Angus and I to get home. See you tomorrow Mae!"

The cop sighed. "Alright, I don't want any of you walking home alone tonight. Buddy system, something bad's going on."

Bea coughed. "I can take Mae and Simon officer."

Mae smiled. "Thanks Bea, lets roll."

Simon forced a smile, trying to hide his breakdown. "Thanks Bea."

* * *

Simon sat in the back of the car while Mae rode shotgun and Bea drove. What the hell is really going on. Was he still crazy, or was there really a murder on the loose. He didn't know. Nothing really made sense anymore. Why was Mae so... Calm about the arm. Was she just a misfit, or was she a figment of his shattered mind... Was this world really real, or was he hallucinating again... How would he know... At least he could protect himself if need be... But from what? From who? No point in asking questions he didn't know the answer to. He looked out the window at the empty streets. It was dark out, but he still had his phone which meant he could still get back to his temporary home. Suddenly the car abruptly stopped. "Hey look were here."

Mae laughed nervously. "Oh, my house isn't for a few blocks"

"Get out."

"Ok!"

Sensing something wasn't right, Simon coughed nervously and opened the car door. "Thanks for the ride Bea."

"Whatever."

The two felines stepped out of the car and closed the doors. Bea then gunned the engine and drove off into the distance. "What did you say to her?"

"I don't know... All I asked was, were her parents training her to take over the family business and she get really quiet before kicking us out."

"Then her family is a touchy subject."

Both stood there in silence for a minute before Mae spoke. "Well you want to walk me home?"

Simon blushed and looked at her surprised. "What? Why?"

Mae smiled gleefully knowing she had Simon in a uncomfortable scenario. "Well, Aunt Mall cop said we needed to walk home in groups of twos because there's a psycho on the loose. You wouldn't want me to get hurt now would you?"

To be honest, Simon wouldn't have really cared about someone else but something was different about Mae. Something about her brought back so many good memories... He would be foolish to say no. "Alright.. Fine, but no funny business."

"No promises."

The duo began to walk in the direction of their homes. One conflicted, one satisfied.

* * *

Simon sat in the corner of the box cart under the tarp. It was dark inside but the light coming from the moon and the stars showed through the cracks in the roof. He was trying to sleep but it was coming rather hard to him. He was unsure of what to think of Mae. She was kind, but at the same time, the reactions from the police officer and the group of friends she hangs out with indicated she was a misfit. Simon was an emo, not a rebel. Plus, she was an animal. He is, or was a human. It would probably be really messed up to be attracted to a cat. Sure he was a lynx now but it would still be weird. Sighing, he closed his eyes and placed his head on the makeshift pillow before he slowly fell asleep.

* * *

 **Well that was something huh? Bringing back and old, retro game and paring it up with this new one. I highly suggest you try out cry of fear. Great horror game, uses the old gold source engine so you might have to download half life 1, I don't know. Also I need a new setting for one last story I'm planning, preferably with animal people so it would be easier to write about for the series I'm planning.**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Miles to go before I sleep

Simon awoke in a bloody hallway. The entirety of it was covered in a thin layer of blood, not all of it was crusty. For some reason, train tracks were bolted down onto the bloody floor and it seemed. In the distance, he could hear screaming, indiscernible from where he was. It was somewhat dark, only a few lam. He was a lynx in this dream, he stood up. On the floor in front of him was a glock 19 and 2 clips of ammo. He wrapped his paw around the gun and picked it up, hitting the mag release to check the ammo. 45 shots... That's all he had. He slapped the clip back into the gun and racked the slide. Standing up, he aimed the gun down the dilapidated corridor and began to walk slowly toward the screaming, watching out for anything that might manifest out of thin air. As he got closer, he was becoming easier to decipher the scream. It was definitely female. Was it Sophie? Letting his curiosity get the better of him, he began to walk to where the voice was coming from. "Simon! Help!"

Those two words were what shook him to the core, it was definitely Sophie. He began to run down the hallway, uncaring of what might get in his way. After turning some bloody corners, he saw her hand sticking out of what looked like a giant tree made out of flesh, it was slowly pulling her in. He ran to the tree, trying to get to it so he could free her. Sure he didn't have anything to cut her out with but he should at least try. Before he could get to her, the floor extended upwards separating the two. A figure on top began assault rifle a rifle at him. Bullets began to tear the floor around him as he frantically ran around, trying to dodge the attacks form the unknown hostile. He could have run back to the safety of the other hallway but he refused and continued to dodge the bullets. The figure must have ran out of bullets at some point because the hailstorm of bullets ceased and the figure looked like it was reloading. Simon aimed his pistol up at the figure and fired twice, one shot missed and the other went straight through it's head.

The figure stumbled before it threw down it's assault rifle, swapping it out for an ax. It jumped down and lifted up it's hoodie. It was him... Human him... Book Simon... The one thing that kept him sane, the knight in shinning armor, the lone soldier he depicted himself as, stood in front of him with murder in it's eyes... His creation, companion, now turned against him... That's alright, Simon didn't need him anymore, he wasn't weak. Simon raised his gun ant put two rounds into the figures chest. It stumbled back but so did he, he could feel a wetness on his chest, he felt it and saw that there were two bullet holes. It hurt like hell he trembled a bit but the figure still came at him with full force. He growled with frustration and fired again to halt the progress of the figure. It stumbled back but he fell over, a new bullet hole in his stomach. He fell backwards wracked with pain. He coughed up blood just as book Simon stood back up and began to approach him with an ax. Simon didn't want to die in such a horrible way. Getting violently bisected by an ax was a hell of a way to go. He stuffed the gun in his mouth and pulled the trigger, killing him instantly.

Simon woke up in a fit back in the derailed box cart. Breathing deeply and looked around with panicked eyes before he managed to calm down. The nightmares he frequently had always felt so real. He sat up and reached into his cache of food and pulled out a can of beans. He cut open the can and spooned the salty contents into his mouth. He still needed a job, he would have to go back to the town bulletin or wander around to find any postings. He tossed the can to the side and opened the box cart door.

"This is really good Simon."

The owner of the Clik Clack dinner, a Labrador named Theodore Haflax, ate the hassle back potatoes Simon prepared. While he was disabled back home, that didn't mean he couldn't cook for himself. Because his father divorced his mother, he didn't have a male figurehead to really look up to so he spent a lot of time with his mother. She taught him how to cook and he cooked for himself when he was living by himself. Simon missed her very much... Why was he sent here?

"Thank you Mr. Haflax, it was my mother's recipe."

The lab looked up from the dish and smiled. "Perfect, that's what we want here, home style family cooking. You are definitely hired."

The lab stood up and extended his paw to Simon, who took it and reciprocated a handshake.

"Come back tomorrow, I'll have your name tag ready by then."

"Thank you Mr. Haflax, I'll see you tomorrow."

Simon bid the dog farewell and exited the diner and into the street. There were a few pedestrians around and some cars on the road. It was somewhat quiet, unlike the noisy city he came from. Stupid kids, stupid parents... NO, no, Simon stop thinking that... They didn't do anything to hurt you, they don't know what it's like to live your life. He needed to buy some soap. He couldn't walk everywhere smelling like a sewer and his clothes needed to be properly washed. He needed to be clean.

Simon sat in the stream bathing himself. He had managed to purchase a soap, washing powder and a towel from a local store and he was cleaning himself. Scrubbing through fur wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. He had been there for about 30 minutes trying to scrub the grime out of his fur. The water was rather cold too, it was autumn after all. He grumbled to himself as he continued to wash himself. Suddenly, a twig snapped rather loudly. He turned around to face the sound and crouched down in the water. He was naked, the last thing he would need is to be raped by some stranger in the woods. He began to wade back to through the water to pick up his clothes. That's if he could find them. The branch he had left his clothes on no longer had his clothes, just an empty branch. "What the? HEY! Give me back my clothes you punk!"

Feeling bitter and angry, Simon climbed out of the river and grabbed a sturdy branch to beat clothing caper. A stick hit him in the back and he turned around the face the perpetrator, only to see no one was there. He growled. "Show yourself!"

He heard snickering above him. He looked up and saw Mae in the tree above him holding all his clothes and smiling at him. "Hey there Simon, whatcha doin?"

Simon blushed and immediately covered his junk with his paws. "What the fuck Mae! Why are you here."

She smiled coyly and sat in the tree scratching her ear. "Well, I was just minding my business walking through the woods when I heard some splashing in the water. Naturally, no one would be crazy enough to be in the water this time of year so I just had to see what was going on. When I turned the corner however, I saw a certain lynx bathing himself in the water."

Shit, he should have known he was too loud. "Well can you give me back my clothes and leave?"

Mae moved down the tree so she was rather close to the ground but just out of Simon's reach. "What's the magic word?"

"Mae, can we not do this right now?"

"Come on Simon."

"Please?"

"No, not the right word Simon."

Simon's right eye twitched in annoyance. "What! Come on Mae, just give me back my clothes."

"No."

"Mae, if you don't give me my clothes right fucking now, I'm going to beat the shit out of you!"

"Tsk, tsk, that mouth of yours Simon, just say the magic word."

"*Sigh*, tik."(Bitch)

"What was that Simon."

"I don't know."

"I was looking for the phrase, Mae is queen of Possum springs and I submit to her holy aura."

"Fuck off!"

"I guess that works too. Here you go Simon."

She leaped down from the trees and held the messy pile of clothes to Simon who snatched them from her paws. Simon growled at Mae and he put his underwear on. Mae giggled and looked at him with a defiantly. "You should be glad I don't have a camera."

"If you had a camera, I'd make sure you wouldn't leave this forest alive."

Mae laughed and walked back through the woods. Simon stared after her, feeling humiliated but, oddly satisfied. He stomached his emotions and walked in the direction of his home. Little did he know, Mae held her notebook in her paw. She had drawn a detailed sketch of Simon with his eyes closed scratching his back. He the water was at his waistline. His brown fur surrounded his white belly fur which was dotted with black spots. She took out a pencil and wrote at the bottom of the page, 'Cute boys aren't that bad'. Mae sighed. "Simon, why couldn't you have stood closer to shore? Oh well, at least I got some eye candy."

She put away her notebook and walked back home with a wide smile.

Simon was in his box cart. After Mae had found him bathing in the river, he had moved further down until he couldn't detect anyone. He also took the opportunity to wash his clothes. He had found a old barrel earlier in the day. It was night now, his clothes were set up in a makeshift rack to dry, he was only wearing his underwear. The water from the clothes dripped into a bucket. He sat there trying to comb his fur with his paws making himself look presentable for work. He covered himself in the cargo tarp and went to sleep.

Simon sat up in a ruined house. The wood work was falling apart and the dry plaster walls were chipped. It was dusty and musty. There was no furniture in the house. He was human in this dream. He approached the door and opened it. It was his old neighborhood, everything was where it was suppose to be. The house he was in was in the forest. Supposedly, it was used by satanic worshipers back in the day but the place was raided by the cops. Now it was just a place were kids go to shoot up on all sorts of drugs. He walked down the street, it was quiet, peaceful. The sun kissed his face as well as the summer breeze. He closed his eyes and smiled, continuing to walk down the street. This was one of the only things that calmed him down a bit. He continued to walk. He turned a corner and saw a house that was never there before. It was rather small but it towered over the rest of the single story houses. It was a two story house, plain, white with a red tiled roof with a single red star on the wall. He approached the house, not knowing what to expect. As he stepped onto the porch he could hear a bass playing from within. He rung the door bell. The music stopped and he could hear foot steps approaching the door.

The knob turned to reveal a certain black cat. Mae. Simon didn't know what to say. Mae smiled at him and giggled. "Welcome home sweety. Come on in, I'll get us something to drink."

Mae was wearing a green sweater this time with blue jeans. She looked... Older some how. She stepped back into the house. It was... Nice, rather quaint small hallway. There was a door in front of him and a door to his left. A few pictures were hung on the wall, various faces he had never seen before were captioned but there was also pictures of Gregg, Angus and Bea. What stood out to him the most were the pictures of him and Mae. There was a first date, anniversary, moving in picture and a wedding photo... It strange, but it had a comfortable feel. A kettle was screaming behind a closed door. "Simon, the water is ready!"

Simon approached the door to his left and opened it.

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Instead of a peaceful dinning room he expected, it was a dark and bloody path. The sound of the screaming kettle, had become screams of terror from many mouths. The walls around the path did not exist and instead revealed an endless abyss. The hallway he was in was now barred. He walked forward into the madness for he had no other options. He continued for a while before the bath snaked right. He went right as well. The path now lead into a hall way of sorts. It was some how... Twisted. Rather hard to navigate as well, squeezing through some of the more twisted walkways was difficult but he made it through in the end. Simon the continued his journey into the unknown. However, the sound of a chainsaw revving behind him made him quickly turn around. It was him in lynx form but it resembled book Simon. He quickly turned around and ran and the figure began to chase him. He continued to run until the pathway abruptly ended. He turned around to see that the lynx chasing him had slowed down, approaching him at a slow... Agonizing pace. He faced certain death on both sides but he at least had a chance if he jumped. He hurled himself off the edge and into the darkness.

Simon slowly opened his eyes. What a terrible dream he thought. The second one now where he had to fight his alter-ego. A second time he lost. He sat up and put on his dried clothes. The fire he started last night had died and was now just smoldering embers. He dumped a bucket of water from the collection vat he set up last night into the bucket to douse the embers. He opened a packet of biscuits and ate them. It was time for work.

Simon poured another batch of perogies onto the plate and placed it onto the counter for the waiter to pick up. It had been a rather quiet day. Few people coming into the store and leaving but it was nice. It was nearing the end of the day now and it was getting dark. He had been working for about 7 hours now and his shift was just about over. His phone was charging in the break room which meant he would have an almost infinite supply of power so long as he stayed in the job. The bell rang behind him signaling the end of his shift. Mr Haflax, who was working in his office signaled for Simon to come over. Simon went over to the office and stood in front of the cheap desk Mr. Haflax was using. "Great job Simon, here's your pay, 50 dollars."

Simon accepted the paycheck. "Thank you Mr. Haflax."

"Have a good one Mr. Henrickson."

"Yeah, you too Mr. Haflax."

Simon went into the back room and grabbed his bag. He stepped out the employee exit and ran face first into a black and white tom cat with mint green eyes. "Oh sorry."

"It's alright kid."

Simon stepped out of the way and the other cat stepped inside. Mr. Haflax had mentioned a second employee who took second shift. He was told the cat's name was Danny. Simon could care less. He wasn't exactly a social person. Simon stepped out of the restaurant and walked to the street. His legs ached from standing at the grill all day. It was late out, nearly sunset. Simon decided now would be a good time to buy more adequate sleeping materials. Preferably something that would keep him warm in the coming winter.

Simon sat on the roof of an apartment building, legs dangled over the side. It was night now, he had managed to purchase a sleeping roll and a blanket from a yard sale. However, he did not want to go back into one of those horrible dreams. He had decided to go out for a stroll and eventually decided it would be a good idea to climb up onto one of the buildings. It was peaceful out.. Nice and quiet... He could really see the stars out, not like Stockholm. Look at how high up he was... Wouldn't it be great if he were to jump... It be quick... Escape from all the nightmares... Easy... Simon didn't know what to do anymore... No one to really talk to now... Simon saw a car below him pull to the curve and a figure jumped out before the vehicle drove off. Too dark to make out any distinct features. Simon laid on his back looking up at the sky and closed his eyes.

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Simon could hear footsteps behind him, he quickly sat up and flicked out his switch blade. He saw someone dart behind the small shed that was on the roof. "Who's that?"

Simon slowly approached and flicked on his phone. He slowly approached the corner. Just as he was about to turn it, a figure stepped out with a bat. The features were too dark to identify but it looked like it was wearing some protective clothing. The figure swung it's bat at Simon. He used the arm that was holding his phone to block the blow but the impact made him drop his torch. Simon, reacting quickly, jabbed the individual in the stomach. The figure grunted with pain before shoving Simon back. Simon readied himself and so did the figure. His phone laid to the side, it's light casting a eerie shadows with the two figures. Then the stranger charged Simon, who side stepped the attack and stabbed the target in the side. This time, the figure screamed in pain and back handed Simon with it's gloved hand. Simon stumbled, his vision going hazy for a bit before the figure decked him in the face. Simon fell on his back, his nose was bleeding now. Simon dropped his knife and it clattered in the floor. The figure sat on his chest and began to strangle him. Simon grabbed the figure's arm and tried to pull them off his neck but the individual was too strong. Simon began to grasp around for his knife but the figure used one of it's arms to grab Simon's arm and pin it down. Was he really going to die now? Was this how it was going to end?

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No

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No

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NO!

Simon, with renewed ferocity, unsheathed his claws and slashed his attacker's face. The figure reeled back and lifted his arms off Simon. Seizing the opportunity, Simon quickly grabbed his knife and stabbed the figure again. The figure yelped in pain and fell off Simon who gasped loudly. Simon stood up and began to stomp on the figure's head.

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*Smack*

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*Smack*

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*Crunch*

Simon felt the figure's head cave in from under his shoe. He ceased his attack. The face of the individual was no longer recognizable, it was just mush. His right sneaker had become very bloody. Simon gagged but didn't throw up. "Shit! I need to call the police."

Simon ran back to his phone which still laid on the floor, he picked it up and was about to dial in a number when he hear rushed foot steps behind him. He turned around prepping for another attack but it was too late, the figure knocked him in the head with a bat. Simon stumbled backward and tripped of the edge of the building and he fell over onto the fire escape. He pocketed his phone but kept his knife out. He began to run down the flights of stairs trying to escape the figure behind him. He got about two stories down before the figure caught up to him. The figure grabbed him by the scruff and pulled him backwards. Simon stumbled backwards, side stepping to avoid the swing of the bat. He stabbed the figure in the chest and unfortunately, lodged it in the attacker's thick padded clothes. The figure picked him up by the neck and threw him over the railing.

Falling.

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Falling.

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Falling.

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Crash.

He fell into a dumpster, it's contents cushioning his fall but Simon heard something crack within the trash can and a sharp pain in his arm. It was hard to open it right eye. Looking back up, he saw the figure peering over the edge before it retracted it's head. His knife was now lost to the figure. Simon slowly sat up, everything hurt now. He could feel blood trickling down his arm. He hauled himself out of the trash can and he fell onto the dirt floor. It was now when he realized he had lost his right shoe. He felt his arm and noticed several sharp, unnatural protrusions, most likely glass. He began to limp back out to the street, hoping he could receive the aid of a good Samaritan. He turned right and continued to limp. That's when he noticed the glare of head lights in the distance. Simon stepped onto the road and began to frantically wave his arms, hoping he could attract the attention of the driver. "Help! Please!"

Fate seemed to finally stop busting his balls because the car stopped in front of him. The headlights blinded him though but he could hear a raspy calling out to him. "Hurry up you moron, get in!"

Simon wasted no time limping to the passenger side of the car. He opened the door and threw himself in he was feeling tired now. He could feel that he was on the legs of two people. Keeping his eyes open was becoming harder and harder. He felt the car begin to move again. "Simon, what happened to you!"

He couldn't see her, be he knew exactly who she was. "Mae, is that you?"

Simon felt someone in the back try sit him up. He assumed this person was Mae. "I was attacked... Two people tried to kill me on the roof top... I got one of them but the other one hit me in the face and I fell off the building."

"How do you know you got him?"

"Well, if I the wet crunch I heard when I was curb stomping his face was his skull caving in, then yes, I did get him."

"Don't worry Simon, we'll get you to the hospi-"

The pain was becoming to much now. The world was fading out. He decided to close his eyes.

 **Look at that, another chapter of this fanfic is complete. I'm still looking for suggestions for a game for movie for my next fanfic. I'll be working on my faux fox fanfiction.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Still kicking, still fighting

Simon woke up on a hospital bed, which was a nice change of pace compared to the wretched nightmares he constantly had. But, there was no real way to tell whether or not this was all the result of his unstable imagination. He decided not to dwell on it. The events of the previous night slowly seeped back into his mind as he recalled what happened. He remembered he had been attacked on a roof top and, while he lose the fight as well as his knife, did manage to kill one of his attackers. The room was a plain room, he laid in an metal frame hospital bed. The ceiling tiles had evidence of water damage and the light seemed to flicker a bit... Not the best sign for a confused assault victim. He sat up and looked at himself. No iv drips, no heart rate monitor, some bandages on the arm that the bat hit and a numbness where he had been injured. His dirtied street clothes had been swapped out for a hospital gown. He summarized that he hadn't been injured to seriously in the battle and ignored the sensation. Simon then noticed a small button next to the bed that called for a nurse. He decided to press it to see if anyone would come. Before he could however, the door knob turned and a duck stepped in. He looked like a janitor. The duck looked at him with a very disinterested expression. "Oh, sorry, didn't realize you were awake."

"What are you doing here."

"Fixing a door."

"Okay, that still doesn't answer my question, why are you in this room."

The duck sighed. "Kid, your not suppose to be here. Whether you came to this town deliberately or were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, it doesn't matter now. It's too late to run. You've set something into motion that was never suppose to be triggered. A storm is coming your way. For you, and your friends. Watch yourself."

"What?"

The duck began to walk back to the exit. "Wait! What are you talking about!"

The janitor simply stepped back outside and left him to wallow in his thoughts. The janitor was cryptic, similar to the doctor he depicted in his book. Perhaps the janitor was just something conjured out of his mind. Another one of his vivid hallucinations or one of the men who attacked him last night. He had little time to think however as a doctor who was a deer and a police officer who was a cat entered the room. The same police officer that he had seen when he had first arrived in the town. The officer stood in the doorway and the doctor approached Simon. The deer cleared her throat. "Simon Henrickson correct?"

"Yes."

"Ah good, I'm doctor Taylor. I was the one who fixed you up last night, quite a nasty fight you got into."

"Yea, it was."

"Well, the good news is, apart from a few bruises, cuts and some glass that was embedded in your arm that we removed. You have no real lasting injuries you need to be worried about but I recommend you do not take part in any extraneous activities or else you might tear the stitches we gave you. Here are your release forms, head to the front desk when you are leaving and hand these forms to the front desk as well as this slip."

The doctor produced a yellow slip from her pocket and handed it to Simon. It had a series of numbers on it. "What is this for?"

"It's for your clothes dear as well as a pair of new shoes."

"Shoes?"

"You wouldn't want to go around town bare foot correct."

Simon realized he had lost the shoe when he was hurled off the building. "Oh, okay. Thank you Doctor Taylor."

"No problem. Now, Officer Molly here has a few questions for you to answer relating to the assault you faced last night is that okay?"

"Sure, I can answer a few questions."

"Alright Officer Molly, that is your queue."

The grizzled old police cat stepped into the room and the nurse left, closing the door behind her. "Well, Simon, I have a few questions for you regarding last night. So long as you are honest and straight forward, this interview would go smoothly, do you understand?"

"Yes Officer."

"Good, now can you tell me what happened last night?"

"I was attacked, I was on a roof top when I heard a noise behind me. I went to look and then someone tried to hit me with a bat. I fought him off and killed him and a second guy tried to finish me off but I managed to get away."

Officer Molly wrote some things down into her notepad.

"Okay, Simon. We got the same story from your friends last night but there is a problem with that story."

"What do you mean?"

"We didn't find anything on the rooftop that was mentioned Simon, not a single thing."

"What?"

"It's true I'm afraid, we didn't find anything that would indicate a fight took place there. No blood, no body, nothing Simon. So why don't you tell me what really happened last night."

"What?! What do you mean, I killed one of them on that roof, I felt his head cave in under my shoe. I got the injuries to prove it."

"Well Simon, that roof was spotless, not a trace of blood anywhere."

"No, NO. I killed an attacker on that roof, I nearly died up there."

"Now calm down Mr. Henrickson."

"NO! I almost died and you don't fucking believe me."

"Mr. Henrickson, you are acting irrationally, do I need to come back later?"

"No, you need to listen to what I'm saying. I was attacked by two guys up there, end of story. I'm not changing my story."

Officer Molly sighed and stood up. "Alright Simon, I'll try again another day. Maybe you will be more willing to tell me what really happened yesterday."

"I did!"

The officer left the room and Simon sat in the room fuming at the officer. The arrogance. Who was she to claim he was crazy. He wasn't crazy! He knew what he was saying. He felt every blow that night and the terror he felt the entire time. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

* * *

" _Simon... Simon? Your drifting out again stay focused... You need to open up to me if I'm going to help you get better."_

 _"Like I said, Doctor Purnell, I'm fine..."_

 _"Simon."_

 _"I'm okay Doctor Purnell."  
"Simon."_

 _"I'm serious."_

 _"Simon."_

 _"What."_

 _"Simon."_

 _"What doctor Purnell."_

 _"Simon, are you there?"_

 _"What do you mean, I'm talking to you right now."_

 _"Simon?"_

 _"What?"_

Simon shook his head and turned around. He had left the hospital an hour ago and had walked back to the suburbs. He had gotten a new Grey hoodie that was reminiscent of the one he always pictured book Simon wearing as well as a set of old leather work boots that were left over from the mining days of the town. He had gone to the Diner and was told by Mr. Haflax that he should leave for the week until he was fit to work again. Mae stood behind him, she looked up to him with those bloody red eyes of hers. "Simon, are you okay."

"Yea... I'm fine."

"How are you feeling."

"I don't know... I'm hurt, someone is out there to get me... I think I'm really screwed."

"So, you got one of the guys last night right?"

"I don't want to talk about it Mae."

\ "Come on, how did you do it?"

"I said no Mae!"

"Alright, alright, fine, we don't have to talk about it. Soooo, what'ca doin?"

"I don't know. I've been told to take a few days off, I... I don't know what I'm going to do."

"You can spend time with me."

"Why do you want to spend time with me?"

"Why not? You look like a fun guy. Besides, if your bold enough to bathe in a river this time of year, I'm sure you cool enough to do the stuff I do."

"Well what is it that you do?"

"Crimes."

"What crimes."

"Just crimes."

"Like what?"

"It's self explanatory Simon, stop asking questions."

Simon was unsure what to say, while it wasn't a good idea to let his mind wander, it wasn't a good idea to go to jail within the first week of his new life. But weighing the effects of receding and jail time, Simon decided this would be the dumbest choice he ever made. "Alright Mae, I'll give it a shot."

Mae smiled. "Alright, glad to know your not a wuss, come with me. I'll get you hooked up."

She grabbed his paw and began to pull him along. Simon groaned internally. What was she up to now.

* * *

Simon stared up at Mae who had managed to climb up to the roof. "Come on Simon, we don't have a whole lot of time!"

"Mae, are you crazy, there's no way I can make that."

"Come on Simon, don't be a wuss."

"There's a fine line between cowardice and stupidity Mae!"

"But you love what you have to see up here!"

Mae had somehow convinced him to join her on the roof for fun. He wasn't sure what she was planning but climbing up to the roof wasn't such a great idea. Then again, he didn't exactly have to climb. "Alright Mae, I'll be up there, just give me a second."

"Alright."

She sat there looking coyly at him. Simon ran to the other side of the large red building. Bingo, a fire escape of the tall five story building. The iron ladder hung a few feet above the ground but he would manage. He dragged a abandoned table and pushed it into a spot where he could easily reach the ladder. He jumped up and began to climb the ladder. He began to make his way up the flight of stairs to the top. "HEY YOU DAMN KIDS GET OFF OF THE FIRE ESCAPE."

Simon flinched at the old raspy voice that came from the window below him but continued to run. Eventually, he made it to the top. Gasping, he looked at Mae who was standing there with a smug expression. "Well come on Simon, we still got some exploring to do."

She leaped off the roof and onto the ledge of an adjacent building, as if she was mocking his fitness. She was a small fat cat, he could do better then her. Simon followed her along the ledge until they came across a window that was half open. Mae slid the window open and crawled inside and Simon followed her. "Okay, what now Mae."

"Just wait a second. This thing is really cool."

She walked down the stairs and past some old flower decorations. Simon coughed from the amount of dust that was in the room. He approached the door Mae had entered and opened it to find a dilapidated duck statue. It's cold and wide eyes looking up to the ceiling, that wide, creepy smile. "Ta da! What do you think Simon?"

"What is this suppose to be."

"It's Mallard, the old possum spring float."

"It's really fucking creepy Mae, why did you want me to see it?"

"Hey, Mallard isn't creepy. Sure he did run over Chris Evans that one spring when his tether broke but he's still cool. He was one of the best parts of my childhood and the best of the possum spring floats. Besides, he isn't all I want you to see, come closer."

"No Mae, I don't want to."

"Come on!"

Mae grabbed Simon's arm and dragged him to the float. Despite her small size, she managed to pull Simon over despite his best efforts to break free of her without harming her. When she got him over he gave up. "Fine, what is it you want me to see."

"Just wait Simon."

She pulled out a pretzel and held it over a tear in the duck's stomach. Simon stood there for a moment wondering what Mae was doing. Suddenly, an albino rat jumped out of the hole and latched onto the pretzel, gnawing on it. Mae continued to wave the pretzel and a second rat jumped up to eat as well, and then a third before she let the pretzel go. Simon peaked into the hole and watched the rats tear the pretzel apart. "What was that about Mae?"

"They're my babies."

"They're gross Mae."

One of the rats looked up and hissed at him. "Aww, Simon, you upset him, say your sorry."

"No Mae, I'm not saying sorry to a disgusting rat."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not Mae."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No Mae, I'm not saying sorry, especially to a rat."

"Fine, be that way, I'll get you to say sorry one day."

"Good luck with that Mae. Can we leave, I really don't want to stick around here, especially with that creepy parade float."

"Alright, alright, fine. Let's go."

She walked out of the room and Simon followed. He walked down the stairs and saw a door to the right, something about it peaked his curiosity. "Hey Mae, do you know what is behind that door?"

She came back and looked at it. "No, I never really noticed it actually."

Simon stepped over and put a paw on the door knob. "Oh, so if I drag you to weird places it's not okay but if you do it it's fine?"

Simon turned and looked at Mae who stared at him with a smug expression. "No, I'm doing this on my own accord, not because you told me to."

Simon opened the door. "BOO!"

"GAH!"

Simon jumped up when Mae spooked him. He grabbed his chest and glared at her. Mae on the other hand simply laughed and pointed at him. "Oh, man, hahaha. Your face, it was just like the time I caught you in that ravine. Man, you don't take too well to surprises now do you?"

"Of course I don't, who does Mae?"

"Well not everyone acts as extreme as you."

"Whatever."

Simon looked inside. It was, what he could only assume, was a bedroom. A metal frame bed on the side. A wardrobe and several pictures depicting religious figures on the wall. "Wow, this place is cozy Simon."

"Yea, it kind of is."

"Say, you aren't planning on raping me now, are you? What would Jesus here think."

She pulled a picture off the wall with a lion on it and held it out in front of her. Simon scoffed. "Mae, that joke wasn't even funny, why would you ever say that?"

"It was just a joke Simon."

"Well maybe you should think before you say something."

"Sorry."

"Whatever, let's just get out of here before we get asthma."

* * *

Simon and Mae stepped inside the old party store where the rest of the gang had assembled as well as a strange bird he had never seen before. Bea looked up from her laptop and looked at him with a bored, almost condescending, expression. "Oh, you brought him along."

They all looked at him, making him very nervous. "Yep. And we are just hanging out."

Bea snorted. "Huh, and how has that been working out for you."

Simon groaned. "She's crazy. I don't know why, but she's feeding a nest of fucking rats and calling them her babies."

Gregg laughed. "Welp, looks like Mae is getting her maternal instincts are finally kicking in. Must be all that college getting into her head."

"Haha Gregg, don't think I'm getting soft over here, I can still eff people up."

"Sure you can."

"I can, and if you keep doing this, I'll have to eff you up."

"Bring it."

Bea snorted. "Come on you two, are we going to play a song or what?"

"Sure, hit it!"

* * *

 _Sorry this one is short. I kind of crapped out when I realized I forgot to ask you guys a question. Do we follow the Gregg path or the Bea path. Or should I just shoehorn Simon into the little side adventures Mae has and leave him out of the main story line. Comment and I'll choose the option that has the most votes. Happy, late fourth of July, hope you all are having a great summer._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: A night on the town

* * *

Simon sat in the back seat of the car behind Bea and Mae. The ride had been quiet so far. After they band finished their song, Mae had suggested Bea take her to the mall and for him to tag along, had she not, he would have simply went home. He looked out the window at the quiet forest rushing by. The radio played silently in the car adding to the atmosphere as it drove over cracks and bumps in the road. Again, he questioned his motivation for joining them on their trip but the answer still alluded him. Perhaps it was the sense of belonging that brought him along. He wasn't sure anymore. Especially since... Well, they weren't human. Of course they acted like humans but still... They just aren't. Honestly, the situation only became more absurd to Simon as time passed but he still embraced the idea. It was fun. Besides, it's been a while since he had gone to the mall. Of course, he didn't have much money to spend but he knew how to make it work. After all, a college student living by himself does teach one how to conserve money. "Hey Simon."

He turned to look Mae. "Yes?"

"I'm sort of glad you stopped us last night."

"Why?"

"We were on the way to a party."

"So?"

"And my ex was there. It would have been super awkward. God. That would have been the worst."

"Oh, okay. I'm just glad I didn't bleed over the seat back here."

Bea snorted. "Yea, if you did, you were going to be the one to clean it up."

"I know."

An awkward silence permeated the car before Bea coughed. "I'm just going to turn up the radio."

She twisted the dial and the sound of music began to play louder as they headed to the mall.

Simon's mental image of the mall contrasted heavily to the one he picture in his mind. He remembered the mall in Sweden had been quite lively. Shops selling all sorts of goods lined each side of the hallway and vendors with stalls in the middle peddled various trinkets. It wasn't completely silent but it contrasted to the busy mall he remembered, very few people were walking about, empty rooms where stores would be were closed and gated off. It wasn't as lively as he had hoped it to be but he didn't mind all that much. After all, this was a dying town. He wasn't surprised by the decrepit state of everything here. He followed the two girls deeper into the mall. Mae had charged on ahead to investigate the stores and inquire as to why they were closed, to which, Bae simply said the internet. Simon knew perfectly well what the internet was but he didn't imagine it would be this powerful. Though, he figured he must have traveled in time somehow which wouldn't have been a stretch. He had seen phones with touch screens and sleek laptops which that contrasted to the big blocky computers and flip phones from back home.

He the followed them to a store they were staring at and the name of the place. U revolution. It looked like a sort of store that was trying to appeal to a younger demographic and instead coming off as ….. forced. Or perhaps that what they were aiming for. Simon couldn't understand the idea of any sensible parent allowing their children to shop there though. The Mae and Bea stood in front, both mocking it and remembering the days they used to shop there. "I can feel the edginess from here."

"Just looking in there makes me feel old."

"We are so gonna do this."

"There is no way I'm going in there."

Mae turned to Simon with a mischievous smile. He nervously swallowed and took a step back.

* * *

Simon, reluctantly stepped into the store. It's trashy pop music unintelligible despite the small size of the store. Posters lined the walls depicting various bands he had never heard of and a disco ball hung proudly in the center of the room. The store was currently being run by a female bear employee who was dressed in what was either the uniform for the store, or the poor taste of the clerk. This place was strange, and extremely uncomfortable for him to be in. Considering the fact that it was basically a 15 year old emo girl's paradise. Mae looked around, admiring the decor. "Ho..Lee...Crap... I'm fourteen again."

Bea smirked. "Yep, pretty nuts in here."

Mae pointed to one of the shirts. "Hey isn't that-"

"Shut up."

They walked forward. Simon followed behind them, taking a moment to look at the shirt Mae was referencing. He noticed that it was Bea's shirt. "Hey ladies."

Simon snapped up and looked at the clerk. Mae greeted the bear enthusiastically. "Hellllllloooooo lady."

"Just so you know, we have twenty percent off select t shirts."

"Oooh! T-shirts."

"Yep."

"Thanks a lot."

"Okay."

"Catch you later."

"Alright."

Mae turned to Simon. "Come on Simon."

He joined them at the racks they were staring at. There at various trinkets on the racks. Stickers, belt buckles and other miscellaneous objects Simon did not care for. "Dead party boy stickers? In two thousand seventeen."

Ahh, so he did travel in time. It was 2008 back in the real world... Wait, is that even the case? Is this world even real? Why did he refer the the human world as the real world? This world feels just like home. Just with an animal twist. "Simon!"

He shook himself out of thought. "Oh, yea, sorry Mae."

"Cover me, I'm gonna grab one."

"What?"

He looked to Mae who was looking at the stand with questionable intent. He quickly ran over and grabbed her paws. "Mae, are you crazy, you're gonna get caught."

Bea joined in. "Yea Mae, we aren't doing this."

Mae looked determined though and wiggled her hands out of Simon's grip. "SHHHH. Be cool. This isn't my first time doing crimes."

"What other crimes have you done."

"Shoplifting. Vandalism. Piracy. Shoplifting again now. I just do the easy crimes."

"How is this stupid idea easy."

"Our eyes evolved to notice movement."

"Like dinosaurs?"

"If the dinosaur is moving."

"Wait that's not... Nevermind."

"So long as you're perfectly still when the clerk is watching..."

"Like, you're gonna freeze when she looks over... Even if you are in the middle of putting it in your pocket... And this is gonna work because ... dinosaurs."

"Just like dinosaurs."

"I'm going to pretend I don't know you until your are done. Okay."

And with that, Mae continued her little mission to steal a belt buckle. Simon stood to the side and watched her nervously. Keeping an eye on the clerk. "Sweet"

Simon turned to Mae. "Ok, are you done."

"Awwww, yeah."

"Come on, lets get out of here."

* * *

The trio sat by at a table. Simon took another bite from the pizza taco be bought go-fer at the recommendation of Mae. It was disgusting but cheap. Despite Mae's constant pleading and nagging, she couldn't convince Simon to snatch a trinket and he cleverly used the bathroom excuse to get out of it. After Mae had stolen the belt buckle and Bea had taken the necklace. The trio met at a table in the middle of the mall and ate dinner. A few people milled about the area.

"Hey Simon?"

He shook himself out of his thought again and turned to Bae. "Huh?"

"You ever believe in god?"

"No...Not really."

"Why?"

"Well... It just never seems like he is there you know... When you need him most."

"I can agree with that. Though it did always help to think about it like that."

"How?"

"I don't know... It gave me hope. When I was little, and we came here for the summer daze event, this fountain would always be here, spraying water. I never know how it worked so I assumed it was god."

"Well, I won't blame you for that assumption. Everything seems magical when you are young... And as you get older, it all just... Leaves... We wake up and become cynical."

"Cynical and depressed."

"Yea."

Then, Mae spoke up. "Hey guys, you want to keep walking?"

Bae groaned. "Nope, I'm tired and sad now."

"What about you Simon."

He shrugged. "Okay..."

He stood up and joined her as the continued through the empty mall. "So, what are you thoughts."

"About what?"

"About possum springs."

"Oh... It's alright...It's quiet though... Kind of reminds me of my old neighborhood in Kirkville before I moved to the Stockholm for school."

"Was it nice there?"

"Yea, there was a lake nearby. Sometimes, I would go out there and row a boat. It was peaceful."

"Huh. We have a lake too you know. No one swims in it though because the industrial runoff from the old factories. It's too dangerous and contaminated... Plus, it's winter. "

"Well, that's a shame. Then again, the lake I went to wasn't so great. There was an old asylum nearby and it was really creepy. I could always hear things in there."

"Oh, did you ever look?"

"Yea. One day, I got the courage to look. But I didn't find anything in there. It was all my imagination. After that day... I never heard anything from there again."

"You know, there are a lot of old buildings and abandoned factories from the old days. You wanna check them out with me?"

Simon hesitated for a moment. "I...Alright, I'll take you up on that offer."

"Alright, it will be us. Simon and Mae, urban explorers... Going through the old and dirty places..."

"Okay Mae, I get it."

"Digging through the dirt to find buried riches."

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"And getting tetanus and some other horrible diseases along the way."

"Mae, are you trying to talk me out of this?"

"As well as getting arrested for trespassing."

"Mae... That isn't exactly encouraging."

"I guess... But are you scared?"

"No!"

"Then what's the big deal."

"Just, don't describe it like that.

Mae stared up and a smile crossed her face. "Hey Simon, come with me. I want to do something really quick."

"Uh, okay."

They ran to the raised balcony near some strange glass art pieces that were being suspended on strings. "Okay Simon, watch this."

"What."

Then, Mae took a jumped onto glass structures, and then another. And another. Until she reached a small balcony overlooking the dining area. Simon clenched his teeth and stared at her. "Mae! Are you crazy!"

"I'm fine Simon. Besides, this one is for Bea."

"What are you talking about?"

"Watch the fountain."

Simon leaned over the railing, staring at the fish fountain. Then, he noticed the nozzle turn. He then noticed a person walking closer. He soon connected the dots and prepared to shout. But then he saw Bae sitting at the table and stopped himself. He would let this one play out. After all, Mae knew what she was doing. He saw a spray of water shoot out of the fountain and hit the pedestrian in the head. The individual imediately looked about the mall searching for a perpetrator before receiving another blast of water, forcing them to flee the scene. This cycle continued for a while, with unsuspecting individuals getting hosed with water each time they got in range of the fountain's sprayers until they all fled the area. Mae was giggling above him and Bae was laughing below. Simon smiled at the display, it was rather hilarious. Then Simon heard the crackle of speakers before Mae's voice came over. "Beatrice Santello and Simon Henrickson!"

Bae continued to laugh while trying to shout. "Hey! Don't give them our names!"

Mae was silent for a moment before she continued. "Beatrice Jones and Simon Henry!"

"Oh wow! Is that you god?"

"Yes! It is I, God Stevenson."

"I didn't know you had a last name!"

"Silence mortal! Through my fish monster, I have lain waste to your kind."

"I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty magical."

"Silence mortal! I Shan't say it again."

"You and your good and noble companions shall get ice cream on the way home."

"Yea, we should probably get out of here before you get arrested."

"The cops shall be confused and beat each other up and stuff. For I am god and I hate the cops!"

"Yea, we should probably get out of here."

"And You Simon!"

Simon laughed. "Yes god?"

"You shall accompany Mae on adventures into the abandoned factories...While carrying Mae because she doesn't want to step on the dirty floor."

"No!"

"Too bad. This is the command of god and you shall obey! Now, I leave. Have a good one, mortals."

* * *

Simon said goodbye to Bae as she dropped them off and left. He stood there with Mae, watching her leave. Mae nudged him. "Simon, you want to come to my place for a bit?"

"No, it's fine."

"Come on! You're my friend."

"Maybe later Mae."

"You sure?"

"Yea, it's fine."

"Can you carry me to the door."

"Mae, it's just right there."

"Well, I need you to carry me."

She leaned against him, forcing him to hold her. "Mae, come on."

"No."

"I... Fine, just this once."

"Good."

He picked her up princess style and began to walk to the door. When he got to it, she pulled out a set of keys and opened the door. "Now, carry me up stairs."

"No Mae, I might die!"

"Mae, who is that?"

Simon froze up, a man's voice came out of the room to the left. Then, a older cat came out and looked at him, Simon couldn't see his eyes because of his glasses. "Mae, who is that?"

Simon stuttered to answer but Mae spoke as if nothing was wrong. "Hey dad, this is Simon, the guy I told you about."

"What is he doing here?"

"He said he would carry me into my room."

"Wh...Mae, come on. You said you just met him."

"DAD! No! It's not like that! He said he would because he's that nice."

"Well, if you say so... But no funny business."

"I won't dad... Actually, you mind if he watches T.V with us?"

"I don't see why not."

Mae turned her head to face Simon. "Come on, take me to the couch. Garbo and Malloy is on."

* * *

Simon walked through the woods. Scolding himself for agreeing to carry Mae. He should have just laid her down and left her...No, that wouldn't be right. That would make him look like a jerk. The television show was some sort of crappy comedy show. It wasn't even funny, it was just something for old men to laugh at. Simon could swear her father was staring at him the entire time, trying to judge his intentions. He stepped over a log and followed the tracks. Following them on his way home, or at least his bum hut. He looked up, the sky was dotted with stars. It was... almost like home. Like nothing changed. He slid back down and approached the cart and froze when he saw something familiar stuck to the door with a piece of paper. It was his knife and a note. He quickly removed both and hurried inside, sealing the door behind him. Then, he relit the lantern and looked at the note.

* * *

We don't appreciate what you did to our friend Simon. Possum springs needs us, and your very presence is going to destroy this town. If you care for Mae, leave and never come back. If you don't, we will remove you by any means necessary. You brought this on yourself.

* * *

 **Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been busy with school and trying to come up with ideas for my fanfics. I'll try to work on my schedule but I can't make promises. I'll be working on my star fox fanfic and my Zootopia one as well. Have a good one.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The truth shall set you free

* * *

Simon stuffed all the food he could pack in a hastily made sack. Whoever these people were, they were angry. Simon had a plan of course. He would quickly leave a note at Mae's door, go to the Possum spring's train depot, and escape. He had to leave as soon as possible. He quickly grabbed the oil lantern and lit it. Time to go. Simon quickly grabbed the latch to the door and opened it... It wasn't... No.

The world outside wasn't Possum Springs. It was pure darkness. A single, bloody, tile walkway stretched to a familiar wooden door. Simon nearly fell over. He couldn't understand. Simon pinched himself. Nothing. He couldn't make heads or tails of it. He carefully jumped down onto the floor. It felt real. Very real. He turned around and saw the box cart was being held up by a set of giant bloody paws which stretched off into the darkness. There was no floor except for the walkway. He continued to walk forward and put a paw on the door knob. He turned it and... It was the room he and Mae had found earlier in the day. Simon stepped inside, jumping as the door slammed shut behind him. The room was quiet and outside appeared to be normal. He set down his sack and opened the door, it was just the attic. Simon looked around before he closed it once again. Simon sat down on the bed and looked around. Was he crazy?

Simon pulled the note out and re-read it. He couldn't understand what was going on and he placed the note back in his pocket. He touched the bed again, dusty but soft. Perhaps resting here wouldn't be too bad. He would figure out what to do in the morning.

He went back to the door and noted a lock on the door and a set of keys which hung next to it. Simon quickly locked the door, set his food to the side and slipped his gun under his pillow.

* * *

Simon heard knocking. He quickly sat up and pulled his pistol out. Simon knew it, they had come for him. He should have run while he still had the chance. Simon bolted up and pulled out his pistol. They had come for him, he knew it! He shouldn't have stayed. He readied himself and quickly unlocked the door, carefully slamming it opened and pointed the pistol at... Mae. "Whoa whoa! Simon! What are you doing!"

She shrunk back from the gun with her paws raised. How did? "Mae, how did you find me?"

"I just heard you snoring in here Simon. I didn't expect you to pull a gun on me!"

"I... I'm sorry. I thought... Never mind."

"Simon, what is it? Why are you hiding up here? Why do you have a gun!"

"None of your business Mae!"

"Are you like some international criminal or something? Or a spy that came here to plan an invasion?"

"What! That's ridiculous Mae!"

"Then, what? Why are you up here?"

"Because I'm homeless!"

There was an awkward silence between the two. "What?"

"I'm homeless. I don't... I don't have a place to stay."

"Why?"

Simon stuttered as he tried to come up with an excuse. "Because... Because I hiked out here. I was... Living with my grandma prior to coming here. She died and left me with nothing so I... I had to leave and make it on my own."

He knew she wasn't going to fall for that flimsy excuse. She accusatory stare clearly expressed this. "Simon, you're lying. I can tell."

"I..."

He sat down on the bed. "I know... It's complicated."

She sat down with him. "Simon, you can tell me. I know another homeless guy named Bruce. He's lives in a hut by the church."

She put an arm on his shoulder. "You can tell me. I won't judge."

He stayed quiet before taking a deep breath. "Can... Can we talk about this some other time. I really don't feel like it right now."

"Come on Simon, don't be ashamed. If anything, I'll end up like you once my parents start to hate me and kick me out of the house."

Simon remained silent. Mae brushed up against him. "So, you want to go check out the old rail yard?"

"What?"

"You said you wanted to go check out the old abandoned places of Possum Springs. I'll take you around."

"Oh... I... Sure. Why not. I need to think."

"Great! Let's go."

He sat up. "Why are you here anyways?"

"I got up early so I could feed my rats. That way, I wouldn't have to worry about feeding them later."

"Early?"

He looked out the window. It was clearly morning, about seven. "I don't get up until about ten and I have things to do today so I decided to find you before the afternoon."

* * *

The place had been sealed off by a wire fence which had rusted and fallen apart with disuse and nature. Mae and Simon snuck in through a gap in the fence and wandered between the tracks. The actual mine was about three miles away from the station according to Mae. Vandals had covered the station in graffiti and smashed whatever they could. Feral animals had nested wherever they could. There was the smell of rust, gravel, old coal dust, and rotting wood permeated the air as they walked through the old terminal. "So Simon, why did you come here to possum springs?"

He was quiet for a moment, trying to think of a reason. "I... I don't know, I just started to drift I guess. I just ended up here."

"Well you picked a shitty place to drift to in case you hadn't realized it."

"I'm not from around here so I wouldn't know."

"Well, then you should get the hell out while you still can."

Simon stopped for a moment... Get the hell out while you still can. Just like that note. Was... No, that wasn't possible... Or could it? The two cats followed the tracks to the old docking platform. The terminal was dilapidated and worn away with age. The paint was chipped in places and the iron structures were covered in rust. Simon jumped onto the platform and looked at a large building, likely an administration building. Mae ran on ahead. "Come on Simon, lets go into the building!"

Simon quickly ran after her. Mae first darted into the building and Simon followed shortly after. He had arrived in some receptionist area, light poured in from a glass the doors and a skylight. Simon looked around. Mae had darted off somewhere. "Mae? Where are you?"

"Marco!"

Simon followed the voice and came to a hallway with doors. "Mae?"

"Marco!"

Simon heard her from the far end of the hallway on the left where a door quickly shut. Simon ran over and tried to open the closed door, it was locked from the other side. He could barely make out Mae behind the door's frosted window where the sun came in through a window. He knocked on the door. "Mae? You in there? Let me in!"

"You have to catch me Simon!"

Simon tried to kick down the door but it was solid. He decided he should break the window and manipulate the lock from the other side. Simon looked around the building for something that could serve as a good window breaker. Eventually, he found a brick which was near a damaged wall. Simon took the brick and ran back to the room. He smashed the window with the brick. The frosted glass plane shattered with impact and revealed the room to be empty except for a desk in the center which lead up to a hole in the ceiling. Simon ran back out and towards a staircase where he could get upstairs. Unfortunately, the staircase had collapsed long ago which meant he couldn't get up the the second floor, especially with his busted arm. He decided the desk would be the best option to get up.

Simon backtracked and got back into the room where Mae had climbed up to the second floor. He made sure to avoid the glass shards when he opened the door, climbed on top of the desk and jumped up to the hole in the ceiling. He caught the ledge of the floor above with his arms and tried to pull himself up. Unfortunately, he slipped off and landed on the desk with a painful thud. He groaned a little and he heard Mae run back. "Simon! Are you okay?"

He saw her peer back over the edge of the hole. "Simon!"

Simon groaned and sat up. "I'm fine, just-"

Simon heard the floor groan below him. He froze. "Oh shi-"

The floor, weakened from weather and age, caved in and swallowed Simon and the desk up. A large cloud of dust was created as the desk fell through the floor and crashed into the basement. Simon coughed, trying to wave away some of the dust. "Oh my god! Simon!"

He sat up and got off the desk. "I'm fine! Don't worry about me."

Simon looked around the basement. It was dark with the exception of the light that came in from the upstairs office. Mae managed to climb down from the second floor to the first one and offered Simon a hand. "Here, let me help you."

Simon jumped up and Mae grabbed his hand only to drop him. Simon fell back again and looked at Mae who smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, guess I don't have the strength to pull you up."

Simon turned over. "Don't worry, I'll go look for another way out."

"Yea, you do that, there's a door somewhere in there which should lead up, I'll go open the basement door and help you out."

"Thank you Mae."

Mae ran off and Simon got up. The room was dark so he turned on his phone's flashlight. It was cluttered with old furniture and miscellaneous objects. Simon heard banging and followed it. It lead him to a staircase where a thick wooden door rumbled a bit as Mae hit it. Simon grabbed the knob and tore it off. "Oh shit!"

"Simon?"

Mae stopped hitting the door. "Simon? Are you okay? What happened?"

Simon tried to put it back in a futile effort to fix it. "The fucking knob broke off!"

"What!"

Simon turned around and threw away the knob. "I... I'm going to try to find another way out or... to break down the door."

"Okay, I'll... I'll look for something to help."

"Okay."

Simon walked back down into the basement and looked around. Surely, there must be tools left behind. He began to move around the basement, checking shelves and surfaces for any tools he could use. Simon then noticed a box mounted on the wall labeled fire ax. He quickly opened it and grumbled when he saw the mount was empty. Simon sat back down and shined the flashlight around the room for anything that could help. Nothing. Simon then noticed another door labeled boiler room. Perhaps he could find something in there. Simon stood up and went over. He opened the door and saw the boiler room which was long quiet.

He shut the door out of frustration and heard something crash on the other side. Simon opened the door and... It was the strange world again. Simon looked through and saw the tile floor extending outwards into the darkness. Simon pulled out his knife and walked through the door and onto the bloody floor. He walked carefully along the path, making sure he wouldn't accidentally fall off. Eventually, the path came to a intersection. Left or right?

Simon took the right path and walked. He noticed cages hanging by chains. The bars of these cages had been broken, as if the occupants had burst out. Given the nature of his nightmarish creations and the situation he was in, Simon expected to find trouble. Eventually, he came to the end of a pathway. A fire ax laid at the end of the walkway. He put away his knife and picked up the ax, trying getting accustomed to its weight.

He heard a nightmarish roar behind him. Simon quickly turned around just in time to see one of the faceless creations charge him. Simon readied the ax struck the creature's right side, cutting it and knocking it to the floor. He pulled his ax out of the creature's body and it continued the twitch. He raised his ax and finished it off, bisecting its head with ease.

Simon pulled the ax out of the enemy, spraying blood as he pulled it out. He quickly ran along, encountering another faceless. Simon swung his ax at the creature's leg and lopped it off. The beast made to grab him only to receive the ax in it's spine, stopping it.

Simon ran back to the intersection and turned left, narrowly avoiding the abyss as the path in front of him crumbled. He ran until he saw the door, quickly bashing through and shut it behind him.

He breathed hard. His body shuddered violently as he heaved heavy breaths. He looked at the ax, the blood was gone and and evidence of the nightmare dimension was gone. Had he imagined the whole ordeal up again and simply retrieved the ax from the storage room? Or was what he experienced real? Simon tried to assure himself that what he was likely his imagination. That he had simply wandered into the dark depths of his imagination. Simon shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts, readied his ax again and walked towards the basement door. He lifted his ax and hit the door. It splintered under his attack. He hit it again. The ax cut deeper into the door.

Simon hit the door again and again. Eventually, it broke. He managed to push through the splintered door and carefully walked through. Mae had left, likely to find something to help get him out. He walked back to the lobby and went through the front door. Mae was nowhere in sight so he decided to sit down on the front steps. He leaned his head on the ax and rested.

Simon felt something nudging him and he quickly sat up. Mae stood in front of him. Apparently, he had fallen asleep as he waited for her and slumped against ax. "Simon, you got out!"

He stood up and worked out the knots in his body as he cleared his mental fog. "Yea, yea... What time is it?"

"I don't know, I don't usually keep a watch."

He sat up and picked up his ax. Mae looked at his new tool and smiled. "Cool ax! Can I hold it?"

Simon shrugged and gave her the ax. She hefted it up and made a few mock swings with it. Simon rubbed the back of his head and he stood by her. "I managed to find it in a box down there and I used it to break the door down."

Mae turned around and handed the ax back to him. "Why don't you hold onto it. I'll only find a way to get in trouble with it."

"Where were you anyways"

"I looked around the machine shop for something that could help. Unfortunately, the workers had taken everything and whatever left was looted."

"Okay."

"And then I tried to put something together to break the door down."

"What?"

She laughed sheepishly and held up a hand which was covered in cuts. "I'm not very good with improvising apparently."

The two began to walk back to town, Simon held the ax over his shoulder as he walked with Mae. "Sorry I got you into that mess Simon. I should have realized I it was a bad idea to go there."

"It's okay Mae. I got out in the end okay."

"And you got an ax out of it."

"Well, if I didn't get it, I would have been stuck down there."

"But you did so... That's a win for you."

* * *

Simon and Mae parted after they went back to town. Mae ran off to find her friends while Simon ran back to his den. He snuck in and stashed his ax away. He had locked the door behind him and quietly sat down, re-reading the same note again and again. Simon still wondered what he should do. For the first time in a long while, he felt accepted by someone and cared for. To have it all taken away from him...

Simon shook his head and growled angrily. Angry at the bastards who want to kill him but mostly angry at himself for not being stronger. He realized that his panic last night was dictated by fear and a irrational paranoia that everyone was out to get him. He then realized that he would have been willing to throw away everything at a moments notice and that angered him more. Now, he wasn't sure what to feel. He looked up at the dying light. Perhaps he could ask Mae. After all, she dropped out of college even though she knew she would have to return to this town. This dreary, dying town. Perhaps she could offer a reason for him to stay behind, even if it meant he would be in danger. He wanted a reason to stay. He... He didn't want to leave.

* * *

Simon followed behind Mae and Bea along the dirt road. Mae had come back to him earlier and offered to take him on another fantastic adventure with Bea. Unfortunately, she failed to mention that Bae was actually coming out here to repair a furnace for some old lady. Not the most glamorous thing to do but it would provide him with an opportunity to talk to Mae. It was night out and they had traveled quite the distance from the town. The three had left the car in the driveway and proceeded up towards the house. Mae and Bae made small talk while Simon stayed behind lost in his thoughts. "Couldn't you just like refuse to do housecalls?"

"Nope."

"It's called a job and people pay you to do it. Ideally at least."

Mae stopped to stare at a large structure in the driveway and Simon almost bumped into her. Bae stopped and turned around. "You coming?"

"There's a thing back here in the driveway!"

"Yea, she's an old lady. She's got weird shit in her yard."

"It's like a windmill!"

"Yep."

"I've never been back up here before."

"Mae Borowski, you have now been here."

"It's nice."

"Yeah, just a bunch of old cabins people turned into houses. Some hunting camps. So don't get shot or anything."

Simon paused to stare around letting his mind wander. It was a lovely night out. Fireflies darted about in the lawn and a light mist covered the woods. The moon shown brightly above and Simon could see stars out. He felt at peace for a while until Mae disrupted him and pulled him along. Bea stopped at the front door. "Okay, let me do the talking okay?"

Mae and Simon agreed and Bea knocked on the door. After a while, an old lady had come out. "Oh, thank you for coming on such short notice."

The trio entered. Simon hung back behind the two. Bae nodded. "No problem."

"I can sleep through a four alarm fire but that furnace..."

"We'll take a look at it."

"Ever since Gene passed away I just can't abide that thumping."

"Understandable."

The old lady sighed and a dreamy look came over her face as she began to reminisce back to her early days. "Gene was such a darling man..."

"Hold that thought."

Simon paused. What did that mean? Mae was confused as well and silently whispered to Bae. "Hey, what did you mean by hold that thought."

Bae leaned back. "Wait for it."

The old lady shook her head. "I'll never forgive them for taking him away..."

"Uh huh."

"Ain't like I didn't treat him right... I looked it up on the internet... He didn't smell or nothing."

Simon took a few second to connect the dots before he realized what the lady was referring to. "Wait...for...it..."

"You can't take a woman's husband just because he's dead!"

Simon wanted to yell at the lady and scoff at her for her strange behavior but decided to keep his opinion to himself. Mae gasped. "Holy god!"

The lady pointed to a couch. "Took him right off that couch."

Bae coughed awkwardly. "It's a crime."

Mae almost snickered. "A crime was definitely committed alright."

The lady growled. "They just couldn't abide not being able to tax him anymore, that's what it was."

She eventually steadied herself. "Well, I won't talk your ears off about it."

The lady lead her deeper into her house. "Come take a look at my fridge while you're here!"

"We bill by half the hour."

The two cats followed quietly behind and stopped when they arrived in the kitchen. Bae stood by trying to look interested and the old lady smiled as she put a paw to her fridge. Mae nodded. "Good job."

Bae nodded. "Yeah, it's a nice fridge. What's the problem?"

The old lady shook her head. "Oh, there's no problem. It's just a classic. An original luna freeze."

"Wow."

"They were all the rage when I was your age. They last forever and they make me feel so young."

Mae cut in. "I saw one of these the other night when I got back into town."

The old lady looked at Mae with interest. "Oh really? Where?"

"Upside down under some logs in a creek in a ravine"

Mae's blunt response made the room feel very uncomfortable. Bae broke it. "So! Furnace!"

The old lady shook her head. "Oh yes, right through here to the basement."

"Sounds good. Come on guys."

Mae and Simon followed Bae through a door which lead down into the basement. Bae turned around. "Alright. We'll be down there for a bit. Please remember not to lock us in."

The old lady looked at her in confusion. "What?"

"Last time we sent someone, he got locked in the basement."

"I assure you that did not happen."

"Um, he called me from your basement."

"Your man did smell a bit of booze when he came by."

"Oh. Ok."

Mae leaned into Bae. "Busted."

"Or something."

Bae turned around. "Okay! Down we go!"

Mae turned to the old lady. "It was nice meeting you."

"I don't really know who you are little person."

* * *

Simon sat beside Mae as they watched Bae fix the furnace. Mae had finished jumping about the room and looking at various knickknacks the old woman had gathered over the years. This woman was clearly a hoarder of some sort in the eyes of Simon.

Simon looked to Mae. He couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to bottle up his thoughts and emotions to Mae. He wanted to tell her everything. His true origins, his mental state, anything that would help him lift some burden off his chest. He thought for a moment and decided on what he should tell her first. "Mae... I need to talk with you."

She turned to him. "What is it?"

"I... I have a confession to make."

"In addition to being homeless?"

"Yes."

"Well, what is it?"

"I... You remember how I killed that guy a few days ago?"

"Now you feel like talking about it? A few days ago you were really sensitive about it. Why the sudden change?"

"Something... Something happened."

"What?"

"I..."

Simon carefully pulled out the small piece of paper out of his jacket and gave it to her. She read over it and handed it back to him, clearly confused. "I found this on my old hideout yesterday. It was stabbed into the door with my knife. I... I was planning on running away until I remembered that room we found in that building. I wanted to make a plan but couldn't figure out what to do."

"Well that shouldn't be too hard, the trains run through possum springs all the time. Remember? That's how Casey got out."

"That's the problem Mae... I... I don't want to leave."

"What could be more important then your life Simon?"

"I actually feel like I belong here Mae. I have a job here... Friends... You are my friend right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Of course. We do all sorts of stuff together."

" Back home, I didn't have friends... I never felt like I belong anywhere back home... Out here... I feel happy."

"Happy... That's something most people don't feel anymore out here."

"Is it really that bad here?"

"Ever since the mines closed and the highway was built, Possum Springs just isn't what it used to be. All the jobs got taken away and nobody passes through here anymore."

"So... Should I stay or should I run?"

"That's up to you Simon. I won't judge you for leaving but if you stay, I'll fight along side you."

"Really?"

"Yea! I can eff some people's shit up! My ex BF and I once beat up a gang."

"Really?"

"With nothing but trashcans and chains."

Simon laughed a little and Mae leaned into him. Bae eventually came back. "Alright you two, the furnace is fixed. I don't want to hang around here for longer then I have to so lets leave."

The two sat up and made to leave for the door when Bae suddenly held them back. "Wait."

The two stopped and Bae went up the stairs. He heard the sound of a door knob jangling before Bae came back down. "Damn it, we're locked in."

She hit herself in the head. "Aaaaagh, I knew this was going to happen. Stupid, stupid Bae."

Mae asked a question. "Can't you yell?"

"It's not gonna work."

Bae turned around and cupped her mouth. "MRS MARANDAAAAA!"

A moment of silence passed and Bae shook her head. "It didn't work."

Bae went back up the stairs. "Well, the knob is really old and loose, maybe I can like... figure this out."

Mae grabbed Simon's hand. "We'll go look around too!"

Bae snorted. "Yea, you two go look around a whole bunch."

Bae turned around and began to work on the furnace. Mae took Simon to look around the basement. Simon dug through the old boxes of junk in an attempt to search for something, anything that could break the door down. *BANG*

Simon shrunk down as he heard a loud banging noise behind him. He turned around to see Mae holding a baseball bat and smashing up the furnace. Simon quickly ran over and tried to stop her. "Mae are you crazy! What are you doing!"

She pulled the bat out of his grasp and panted. "The only thing Mrs Maranda could here was this furnace. This broken furnace... Broken things need to be broken Simon!"

Simon was about to interject when he realized what she was planning. "Oh right! Do it!"

She smiled and began to bash the furnace with all of her might. Eventually, the furnace began to billow smoke as pressure built up and burst out. The sound was deafening. Mae laughed. "SUCK IT YOU PIECE OF CRAP!"

Simon could barely hear Bae above the noise. "Wow! That is pretty loud! Surprised I can't hear that back in town. Oh, thank god she's coming. Hey Mrs Maranda! You locked us in your basement!"

* * *

The trio sat on the porch of the old woman's home, sipping on glasses of ice cold lemonade. Though the this job took longer then expected, it was quite the experience. Mae set down her drink. "Well, that was fun."

Bae nodded. "Uh huh."

She trailed off, giving Simon the impression that she was exhausted from the ordeal but he decided to ask anyways to show that he cared. "You alright?"

"Yea."

Mae raised her arms. "You not like lemonade?"

"It's faantastic."

"Then what's up."

"Nothing. Just tired. Worked all day."

"I'm all hyper."

"Good for you."

"Ugh, you are zero fun."

"Yup."

"You need like, some magical shit to give you a new perspective."

"Let me know when that happens. Wouldn't want to miss it."

"Come on Simon."

Mae took Simon's hand and took him down the driveway towards the windmill. Simon ran alongside her through the grassy field and fireflies sparked all around. She came to a stop and looked up at the windmill where several clusters of fireflies had gathered. Simon scratched his head. "What are you doing Mae?"

She turned around a smiled. "Watch."

She carefully climbed up one of the windmill blades. Simon was about to tell her to be careful as she jumped up and climbed to one of the blades parallel to the ground. She balanced herself as she walked towards the cluster. Then, she waved her hands at the fireflies. Simon was confused but then noticed the glowing bugs following her. He watched in silence as the magical spectacle folded in front of him. She came back with a cloud of fireflies following her. She giggled came back to Simon. The fireflies flew around him and he watched, entranced by their little dances. His eyes crossed as one of the little bugs landed on his nose. He sneezed and he watched as the little bug flew away. "Mae, how-"

Simon felt Mae grab his chin and direct his vision downward. The two locked eyes for a moment. His golden eyes looked directly into Mae's red ones. Both their eyes reflected the light of the fireflies. Simon felt very hot. Mae nuzzled into his neck and pushed something into his pocket. Before he could realize what was going on, she began to drag him back. "Come on Mae, lets show Bae the magic!"

Simon felt his face heat up even more as she dragged him by the paw on the way back. The two ran back to the porch and the fireflies left the two to circle around Bae. She was clearly surprised and happy by the sudden phenomenon. "Hahaha, Are you like a firefly whisperer or something?"

Mae shrugged. "They just like me I guess!"

"That's... You're an interesting person Mae Borowski."

"Grandad said being interesting is all you can hope to be."

"Well, mission accomplished."

"Woohoo!"

"You know, I have to say this would have been a much less exciting evening if you weren't along for the ride."

"See, I'm good to have around."

"I mean you can certainly beat the shit out of a furnace."

"I can beat the shit out of anything."

"You should like channel that aggression you always have into something useful."

"Eh, Dr. Hank said way back I needed to repress it."

"Repress? Not like learn to deal with it?"

"He specifically said to repress."

"Uh. Ok. Hm."

An awkward silence passed before Mae tried to start a new line of conversation. "So do you think Mrs. Miranda like pulled her husband's guts out? Isn't that what you do for mummies?"

"I dunno, Mae."

"Do you think you would have the stomach for it?"

"Nope."

"It probably took a lot of heart."

"Yep."

"I wish she would ex-spleen it to us."

"I get it, Mae."

"She really rectum."

"Ok, that probably stayed in place."

"Yeah, that should stay where it be-lungs!"

Bea got up, trying to control her laughter as she walked back to the car. "I'm leaving."

Mae shouted after her. "Hey, you gotta liver your life!"

"Bye, this is me gone!"

Mae ran after her with Simon in tow. "Hey, wait up!"

"You're walking back to town."

"You've got a lot of gall to say that!"

"I'm calling the cops!"

Bae had dropped him off at Mae's house and he simply walked back into town to get to his home. Simon sat on his bed and he took the small piece of paper Mae had given him out of his pocket. He carefully unfolded it and took a look. It was a number. Likely Mae's number. He held his phone in one hand and carefully dialed her. He hit the call button and let the dial tone play. It rang. Simon waited anxiously for her to pick up. The dial tone rang again. Simon's heart began to beat hard in his chest as he felt anxious once more. It rang. Simon swallowed some of the saliva which had pooled in his mouth. Beep.

* * *

Hey, sorry for the wait. I've been busy. Don't worry, I'll be back. I'm going to make some changes to my zootopia fanfiction.


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